Rising Tide North America: 5 years and Still Going Strong

Dear Friends-

Five years ago in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Rising Tide North America (RTNA) emerged as a radical force in the climate movements. Seeking to make the connection between climate change and social justice, RTNA has built a climate justice network throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States that includes over 60 chapters, local contacts and ally groups.

While Big Green groups spent millions of their members dollars on failed climate legislation and international agreements in Washington and Copenhagen, Rising Tide has spent the past five years building and organizing movements to challenge the root causes of climate change committed to these core principles:

Solidarity with frontline communities. From the coalfields of Appalachia to tar sands ravaged Alberta to the coal-polluted neighborhoods of Chicago, we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with those most impacted by climate change and fossil fuel extraction. And will continue to do so.

Building a grassroots direct action climate movement. Lobbying and elections have failed us. The political system is corrupted by corporate dollars. Just in 2011, from the Dept. of Interior to the Montana state house to the streets of Salt Lake City and St. Louis to the highways and byways of red state Idaho, we’ve used people powered direct action against greedy corporations and craven politicians.

Calling out the false solutions to climate change. Industry shamefully tries to shift the climate debate with promises of “clean coal”and “ethical oil,” but we knew better. Bankers and investment traders try to profit from climate change by turning carbon into a commodity, but we said “NO!” These false solutions won’t solve our climate problems and they must be called out again and again.

For five years, our network has grown throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States. For five years we’ve stood with the most impacted by climate change. For five years, we’ve built a direct action movement to stop climate change and end fossil fuel extraction. For five years, we’ve challenged the root causes of climate change.

Now as we enter our sixth year, we´re supporting our grassroots network more and more.